Can You Prepare Doughnut Dough Using a Bread Machine?

By G.D. Palmer

Fresh, homemade doughnuts are an appealing treat, but the mixing and rising process can be tedious. By using specific cycles on your bread machine, however, you can take some of the labor out of preparing the dough. Not all kinds of doughnuts are suitable for bread machine preparation, though. You’ll need to examine the ingredients in your recipe to ensure a rich, sweet result.

Doughnut Types

Bread machines are designed to take some of the work out of making yeasted doughs such as that in breads and rolls. That makes them suitable for use with raised doughnuts. You cannot use your bread machine to make cake doughnuts that rely on baking powder and soda for lightness; or crullers, which use a buttery croissant-type doughnut. Stick to conventional techniques for these kinds of doughnuts.

Benefits

A bread machine allows you to easily mix doughnut dough with less mess than conventional preparation. It also allows you to skip the laborious process of kneading the dough. According to Napoleon Gourmet Grills, you can even let the dough rise inside the bread machine. This device saves significant cleanup time and allows you to leave the kitchen until the dough is ready for frying or baking.

Disadvantages

You can’t use your bread machine for every part of the doughnut-making process. Some recipes may require you to remove the dough and allow it to rise on a floured counter, making it less convenient to prepare your doughnuts. Some bread machines are difficult to clean. According to Red Star Yeast, your bread machine may also require the ingredients to be at a specific temperature before mixing. The extra preparation required for these ingredients can make measuring and mixing for the bread machine more difficult.

Finishing

Bread machines do not include features for frying or baking doughnuts. To finish your doughnut recipe, remove the dough from the bread machine and roll it out to about ½ inch thick. Cut the doughnuts out using a biscuit, cookie or doughnut cutter, then transfer them to a tray or plate in a single layer. Allow them to continue to rise according to your recipe. Fry the dough in oil at a temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or bake the doughnuts according to the directions in your recipe.